Imaging apparatus

Abstract

With the imaging apparatus of this invention, an image is divided equally into four areas, and a setting is made for reading of carriers before irradiation to be carried out separately according to images of the divided areas. By dividing the reading of carriers before irradiation in this way, when compared with the reading of carriers for an entire area of an image (i.e. a frame) in the prior art, each storage and reading time can be shortened to one of the number of divisions. A time serving as a starting point of an irradiation wait time occurs before the reading of carriers before irradiation. Consequently, even if the time serving as the starting point of the irradiation wait time varies, the variation takes place only during each storage and reading set short. Thus, the variation of the irradiation wait time is made less than in the prior art, thereby improving response.

1 . An imaging apparatus for obtaining images by carrying out imaging based on light or radiation, comprising a conversion layer for converting light or radiation information to charge information in response to incident light or radiation, and a storage and reading circuit for storing and reading the charge information converted by the conversion layer, the apparatus being constructed to obtain the images based on the charge information read by the storage and reading circuit, the apparatus further comprising a first storage and readout setting device for dividing an image into a plurality of predetermined areas, and setting storage and reading of the charge information before irradiation of the light or radiation according images of the divided areas. 
   
   
       2 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a storage and readout stopping device for stopping the storage and reading of the charge information before the irradiation, even if the storage and reading of the charge information before the irradiation is only halfway through an image, according to the image of a divided area corresponding to the halfway area, and an irradiation control device for controlling to carry out the irradiation after the storage and reading of the charge information before the irradiation are stopped by the storage and readout stopping device. 
   
   
       3 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a second readout setting device for reading the charge information before the irradiation periodically, and interposing, in an arbitrary cycle, a non-reading operation between the reading in that cycle and reading in a following cycle. 
   
   
       4 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 3 , comprising a readout stopping device for stopping the reading of the charge information before the irradiation, even if the reading of the charge information before the irradiation is only halfway through an image, according to the image of a divided area corresponding to the halfway area, and synchronously with a cycle corresponding to halfway timing, and an irradiation control device for controlling to carry out the irradiation after the reading of the charge information before the irradiation is stopped by the readout stopping device, and at a time of the non-reading operation. 
   
   
       5 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the reading of the charge information before the irradiation is carried out periodically in order of divided adjoining areas, and when a last area is finished, a return is made to a first area for repetition. 
   
   
       6 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the reading of the charge information at an irradiation time is started from a next area adjacent the area where the reading of the charge information is stopped, the reading of the charge information at the irradiation time is carried out periodically in the order of the divided adjoining areas from the starting area, and when the last area is finished, a return is made to the first area for repetition. 
   
   
       7 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 5 , comprising an area changing device capable of changing areas where the reading of carriers at the irradiation time is started, wherein the reading of the charge information at the irradiation time is carried out periodically in the order of the divided adjoining areas from the starting area, and when the last area is finished, a return is made to the first area for repetition. 
   
   
       8 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the area changing device is arranged to start the reading of the charge information from the first area. 
   
   
       9 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the reading of the charge information is carried out continuously according to all areas of the image. 
   
   
       10 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a correcting device for correcting charge information read at an irradiation time based on charge information read at a non-irradiation time of the light or radiation. 
   
   
       11 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the charge information read at the non-irradiation time for use in the correction is the charge information read before the irradiation. 
   
   
       12 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the charge information read at the non-irradiation time for use in the correction is charge information read after the irradiation. 
   
   
       13 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the charge information read at the non-irradiation time for use in the correction consists of more than one piece.